AQUARIUM INVITES VISITORS TO JOIN IN ‘FISHY STOCKTAKE’

Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium is carrying out its annual census throughout January and it is asking visitors to get involved in its own version of a fishy stocktake!

Staff at the award-winning Towan Promenade aquarium are inviting visitors to volunteer to help spot and record the number of certain species including cuckoo wrasse, piranhas and black tip reef sharks.

While the team of aquarists will be conducting their own official checks, they have also organised a series of special fishy censuses for members of the public.

Blue Reef’s Melissa Hallam said: “January has traditionally always been the time of year when we do an official check on all our stock numbers.

“Although we monitor all the displays on a daily basis this is our annual opportunity to double check our figures and to see if we’ve had any unexpected additional births.

“It can sometimes be seen as a bit of a chore but we are planning on making it into a fun, interactive event by asking our visitors to get involved as well to ensure we haven’t miscounted.

“Obviously some creatures will be easier to count than others; the sharks are usually fairly straightforward, although there are a number of species that like to spend much of their time either hidden among the rocks or under the sand.

“Seahorses can be a little tricky and hermit crabs are always something of a guesstimate as it’s difficult to tell which shells are inhabited and which are currently vacant!” she added.

As well as the mini stocktake, visitors will also be able to take part in a selection of other activities based around identifying and counting the animals.

Issued by Blue Reef Aquarium. For more information and to arrange interviews and picture/filming opportunities please contact Melissa Hallam on 01637 878134.